The American philosopher/psychologist William James (1842-1910) wrote, “The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitude.” I first came across these words as a young college student, and I have never forgotten them. My life-long experience (or I should say my long-life experience!) has reinforced the wisdom of these words. Our attitude, that is, the way we look at things–other people, a particular situation, and life itself–can indeed alter our life.

When I was teaching high school, for example, my attitude toward my students was extremely important. If, at the beginning of the school year, I thought, “I know these kids are going to be basically lazy, selfish, and wild,” that attitude would permeate the way I taught. How much better it was if my attitude was, “I can’t wait to meet these kids. I hope I can help channel their natural energy, curiosity, and goodness into meaningful and fun learning experiences together.”

A positive attitude toward life involves seeing things in perspective, often a wider perspective. We Christians have an advantage here, because we view everything against the backdrop of God’s unfailing love for us. We perceive the dignity of every human being and the need for community. We know the profound power of compassion and the importance of forgiveness. We believe in the power of Jesus’ resurrection and the strength of the Holy Spirit. We see creation as God’s gift to us, a gift to share with all others–incuding future generations. These beliefs (and many others) color the way we perceive reality. They influence our choices and decisions. They help determine the way we live our lives.

Because attitude plays such a crucial role in our lives, I went to my trusty quote collection and pulled out the quotes I had filed under “attitude.” Here are 12 for your pondering today:

1) As I am, so I see. Ralph Waldo Emerson

2) The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands, but in seeing with new eyes. Marcel Proust

3) I discovered I always have choices and sometimes it’s only a choice of attitude. Judith Knowlton

4) Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am thankful that thorns have roses. Alphonse Karr

5) Miracles seem to me to rest not so much upon faces or voices or healing power coming suddenly from afar, but our perceptions being made finer, so that for a moment our eyes can see and our ears hear what is about us always. Willa Cather

6) An adventure is only an incovenvience rightly considered. An incovenience is only an adventure wrongly considered. G.K. Chesterton

7) The only disability in life is a bad attitude. Scott Hamilton, Olympic ice-skater

8) Attitude is the mind’s paint brush. It can color any situation. Barbara Johnson

9) We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken away from a man but one thing: the last of human freedoms–to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances. Viktor Frankl

10) Religion is not a way of looking at certain things. It is a certain way of looking at everything. Robert Segal

11) A child on a farm sees a plane fly over and dreams of far away places. A traveler on the plane sees the farmhouse and dreams of home. Carl Burns

12) And finally, this little story from Father William Bausch’s fine book, A World of Stories for Preachers and Teachers:

“The Town Traveler”

A man was walking down the road when he spied a farmer. He approached him and said, “Sir, I have traveled a long way and am thinking of settling in the next town. Tell me, what kind of people are there?” The farmer asked, “What kind of people were in the town you left?” The man replied, “Oh, it wasn’t so good. The people there were selfish, indifferent, just out for themselves. Couldn’t care less about you or what happened.” The farmer said, “You’ll find the same kind of folks in the next town.” The man thanked him and went in another direction.”

Later that day, another traveler passed by and asked the farmer, “Sir, I have traveled a long way and am thinking of settling in the next town. Tell me, what kind of people are there?” The farmer asked, “What kind of people were in the town you left?” The man replied, “It was hard to leave. The people sang with you in the good times and helped you in bad times. It wasn’t perfect, but the people were basically good and friendly.” The farmer said, “You’ll find the same kind of folks in the next town.”

For reflection:

Were there any quotes here that stood out for you? I’m curious to know. If you want to say why it stood out, that’s fine too.

Have you ever altered a situation by altering your attitude? Would you like to tell us about that experience?

Are there any specific Christian beliefs that help you to have a more positive attitude toward people or situations?

Do you have anything to add to this topic? I welcome your additions below.

PS #1: Last Saturday I gave at talk on Mary at Sacred Heart Church in Rock Creek, OH (now merged with St. Mary’s in Orwell to form St. Margaret Mary Alacoque Parish). Sponsored by the wonderful Knights of Columbus, the evening included Mass and a delicious dinner afterwards. What a joy it was to be gathered in a room with so many good and generous people of faith! I want to thank the folks who were there for making me feel so welcome! Special thanks to Laddie for convncing me to come and speak on Mary and for helping me with the details!

PS #2: I will be facilitating a retreat next weekend at the beautiful Villa Maria Retreat Center in Villa Maria, PA. The theme is “Walking with Mary through the Light and Darkness of our Lives.” There will be 34 participants. I’m eager to meet them! I ask you to say a little prayer for us. Thank you!

St. Paul tells the Ephesians, “Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.” (New Revised Standard Bible) Another translation says: “The attitude you should have is the one Christ Jesus had.” (Good News Bible) Here’s a song by Kim Gentry Meyer called “I Need the Mind of Christ.” I liked the phrases: “I need the mind of Christ to cover me… to set me free.. to restore my peace of mind.” Let us pray that we all may more and more take on the attitude of Jesus toward all the people and circumstances in our personal lives as well as the people and circumstances in our larger national and global community.

I invite you to share a comment below. Your comments mean very much to me and our readers!